Safety device for delivery of milk and other articles



. R. A. SMITH. SAFETY DEVICE FOR DELIVERY OF MILK AND OTHER ARTICLES APPLICATION FILED APR- 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

jaw dz attozweq s R. A. SMITH. SAFETY DEVICE FOR DELIVERY OF MILK AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II, I92I. I

1,391,801 PatentedSept. 27, 1921.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2- ,UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND A. SMI H, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY nEvIoE FOR DELIVERY or M LK ND OTHER ARTICLES.

T0 aZZ-whomz't mayconcerm,

Be it known that I, RAYMoND A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State of vPennsylvania,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Delivery of Milk and other Articles, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accom panying drawing and to the figures of ref erence markedthereon, I

My invention relates to an improved device for insuring the safety of milk and other articles daily delivered to householders at hours when residents are not usually awake and stirring; the object being to provide, in connection with a door, a swinging section constructed so as not to disfigure the door, and having retaining means for the milk or other articles to be delivered, which section, when the articles are placed in position thereon, may be swung inwardly and automatically locked against theft or exposure to the open air.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and referred to in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a house door, showing my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a similar view on line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showinga modification of my invention.

In these drawings, 1 represents a portion of the door of a house. A section of the lower part thereof is removed and my invention applied thereto. This consists of a panel 2 formed of any suitable material, preferably of the same wood of which the door is constructed, and is bordered with brass molding strips, or other suitable strips 3, to give an ornamental appearance. It is provided with a transverse shelf 4, projecting from its lower face to afford a support for the milk bottles or other containers to be placed thereon, and at its upper portion has a transversely projecting rack 5 formed of wire or strap metal to partially embrace the necks of the bottles or upper portions of the containers. The ends of this strap or Specification of Letters Patent. Pat ted Sept. 27, 1921. Application filed April 11, 1921. Serial No. 460,257.

guard are fastened by rivets or bolts or sorews'6 to the molding for the panel.

. Y A vertical rod or shaft 7 is journaledin the upper and lower faces of the cut-out portions. ofthe door in bearings 8 and 9,-and passes through the'panel 2 at its central portion, forming a vertical shaft on which the panel may rotate.

A safety catch or look 10 is provided on the face of the panel with suitablekeepers 11- for the bolts on the adjacent portion of the door-on opposite external and internal faces of the door. Keys are provided for the catch or lock, of which duplicates are held by the householder, and by the delivery man, to prevent unauthorized tampering. This is not necessary, however, as the catch may be the ordinary spring bolt, without key, but the householder may have a key, so that when the delivery man has delivered the articles and swung the panel inside and the inside catch has locked, the panel can not be swung outwardly, by prying open the lock from the outside, but must be unlocked and released from the inside.

In Fig. 4, a modification of the structure is shown, in which two swinging panels are provided, one for the reception of milk containers, and the other modified for the reception of containers for bread, rolls or other articles. The constructionand mode of ope'rat-ion of these swinging panels is the same.

as for the single one, above described.

The invention is used in the following manner: The delivery man places the bottles of milk on the shelf projecting from the panel, and unlocks the external catch, if a key catch, or releases it, if an ordinary spring latch, and swings the panel on its pivot, turning the shelf rack and bottles held thereby to the inside of the house or vestibule. When swung around 180, the safety catch engages the inside keeper and can only be released and swung outwardly again by the householder.

It will be seen that my invention not only provides for the security of the delivered articles from theft, but also security from exposure to weather, germs, or contact with anything unsanitary, the article on delivery being at once delivered to the interior of the house.

Many modifications and changes in the de tails of construction of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for delivering articles to houses, comprising a door section or panel, provided with means for supporting the articles, said section or panel being centrally pivoted to swing on, a vertical axis, the panel and adjacent door sections being provided with cooperating safety catches.

2. A device for delivering articles to houses, comprising a door section or panel, provided with means for supporting the articles, said section or panel being centrally pivoted to swing on a vertical axis, a safety catchon the panel cooperating with an external keeper on the adjacent door section, and a cooperating internal keeper on the oppositedoor section, whereby when the articles-areplaced on the panel, and the safety catch released, the panel may be swung inwardly and automatically locked on the inside and only releasable by manipulation from within.

' 3. The herein described safety device for delivery of articles, comprising a panel or section pivotally attached to a door by a central vertical pivot, a shelf on said panel for supporting the base of articles, a rack for holding the upper ends of said, articles, a safety catch on one edge of the panel, and external keeper on the adjacent door portion, cooperating with said safetycatch, and an internal keeper on the opposite adjacent door section to cooperate with the safety catch in another portion of the panel.

4. The panel having the projecting shelf and rack, a door section, a vertical shaft on which the panel is centrally swung, said shaft journaled in upper and lower bearings on the door section, a safety catch on the panel and external and internal oppositely arranged keepers cooperating with the safety catch in alternate positions ofthe panel.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

RAYMOND A. SMITH. 

